Conference Schedule
The one-day conference schedule is filled with excellent General Sessions, Breakout Sessions and Networking opportunities.
| TIME | ACTIVITY |
|---|---|
| 9:00–9:45 am | Registration & Networking |
| 9:45–10:30 am | Official Welcome & Kickoff |
| 10:30–10:40am | Break/Transition |
| 10:40am–11:40am | Breakout 1 |
| 11:40–11:50am | Break/Transition |
| 11:50–12:40pm | Lunch & Networking |
| 12:40–12:50pm | Break/Transition |
| 12:50–1:50pm | Breakout 2 |
| 1:50–1:55pm | Break/Transition |
| 1:55–2:55pm | Breakout 3 |
| 2:55–3:00pm | Transition Time |
| 3:00–4:00pm | General Session |
| 4:00-4:20pm | Dance Break & Closing |
Conference Breakout Sessions
Breakout Session #1
| Location | Session Title | Presenter |
| Room A | Bridging Generations: Strengthening Philanthropy Through Intergenerational Connections | Robin Jordan |
| Room B | Shared Strength: Building a Culture of Community Care | Karen Friedman |
| Main Room | Future You Career Mapping | Khalilah Pitt |
Breakout Session #2
| Location | Session Title | Presenter |
| Room A | Unlock Your Growth with LinkedIn Learning | Bobby Mandell |
| Room B | Permission to Lead: Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone | Karen Friedman |
| Main Room | The OUT Side: Service Beyond the Y | Rosalyn Sigler |
Breakout Session #3
| Location | Session Title | Presenter |
| Room A | Creating Understanding: Leading with Empathy | Lee Anna Massey |
| Room B | What Can "I" Do?: A Servant Leader's Call to Mine Opportunity and Resolve Real Problems for Real People | Latitia McCree-Thomas |
| Main Room | Zen Time! |
Bridging Generations: Strengthening Philanthropy Through Intergenerational Connections
In today’s rapidly changing world, meaningful connections across generations are more important than ever — especially in philanthropy and community leadership. This interactive session will explore the power of intergenerational relationships in building a stronger culture of giving, deepening community trust, and inspiring shared purpose. Participants will reflect on their own experiences and leave with new ideas for engaging donors, volunteers, and community members of all ages.
Presenter: Robin Jordan-Repokis - Donor By Design
Shared Strength: Building a Culture of Community Care
Strong communities don’t happen by accident—they grow from shared commitment, mutual support, and intentional care for one another. In this interactive session, we’ll explore practical strategies to foster belonging, trust, and resilience within your YMCA. Together, we’ll examine how empathy, active listening, and collective responsibility can create an environment where staff, members, and volunteers thrive.
Presenter: Karen Friedman - YMCA of the USA
Future You Career Mapping
Future You Career Mapping is a dynamic, vision-driven workshop designed to help you take charge of your professional journey with intention and clarity. Whether you're just starting out or navigating a career pivot, this session will guide you in identifying your values, strengths, and aspirations to create a personalized roadmap toward your ideal future self. Participants will engage in reflective exercises, explore potential pathways, and walk away with a tangible career map that bridges today’s actions with tomorrow’s goals.
Presenter: Khalilah Pitt - YMCA of the USA
Unlock Your Growth with LinkedIn Learning
This workshop is all about you: your growth, your goals, your future. No matter where you are in your YMCA journey, LinkedIn Learning can help you build skills and confidence for what’s next. In this session, you’ll get hands-on experience with the platform, learn strategies to stay motivated, and walk away with a personalized plan to keep growing.
Presenter: Bobby Mandell - YMCA of the USA
Permission to Lead: Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone
Leadership begins with self-awareness. This workshop invites participants to explore the connection between their values and emotional responses—and how that awareness can unlock authentic, effective leadership. Through interactive dialogue and reflection, we’ll ask: • How can recognizing the link between values and emotions help you lead? • In what ways does self-awareness build trust and authenticity? • What strategies ensure your leadership reflects your core values? If you’ve ever waited for permission to lead, this is your moment to claim it.
Presenter: Karen Friedman - YMCA of the USA
The OUT Side: Service Beyond the Y
Learn how external service fuels personal growth and professional credibility. This session explores how external service and community engagement shape your career trajectory, expand your network, and build a legacy that lasts beyond your current role. Learn how to invest in strong partnerships for yourself—not just your employer—and how being your best self, outside the Y strengthens your leadership within it.
Presenter: Rosalyn Sigler - YMCA of the USA
Creating Understanding: Leading with Empathy
In this session, participants will: connect and reflect on empathy, talk about what empathy is and is not, define and understand how Fundamental Attribution Error shows up in our work, consider our own implicit bias and how that shows up in our work and think on how to approach situations through a lens of curiosity and empathy.
Presenter: Lee Anna Massey - State Alliance of Michigan YMCAs
What Can "I" Do?: A Servant Leader's Call to Mine Opportunity and Resolve Real Problems for Real People
In a world filled with complex challenges and constant change, the question "What can I do?" is both a spark of personal accountability and a call to courageous leadership. This interactive workshop invites servant leaders to shift from passive observation to active engagement by uncovering opportunities hidden in everyday problems—and responding with empathy, clarity, and action. Participants will explore practical frameworks to identify unmet needs, apply servant leadership principles, and design solutions that prioritize people over process. Through real-world examples, collaborative discussion, and reflective prompts, attendees will walk away with renewed purpose, concrete strategies, and the conviction that personal leadership is not about titles—it's about impact.
Presenter: Latitia McCree-Thomas - YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit
Building Joy
Many times, between the grit and grind of our personal and professional lives, people forget to find joy and effectively integrate it into their days. This program will consider ways to build joy into your life on a regular basis and understand how finding happiness helps reduce stress and fosters mental health and wellness.
Presenter: Jean Holthaus, LISW, LMSW - Pine Rest
Y Retirement Fund
Understanding your YMCA Retirement benefits.
Presenter: Matt Servedio, Manager of Education - YMCA Retirement Fund
Conference Location: U of M Flint - Riverfront Event Center
The U of M Flint - Riverfront Conference Center is located in the heart of downtown Flint, Michigan.
Venue Address:
Riverfront Event Center
1 Riverfront Plaza, Flint, MI 48502
Parking Address:
University Pavilion Parking Ramp
300 Harrison St., Flint, MI 48502
Free University Parking: University Pavilion Parking Ramp
Event attendees can park in the University Pavilion Ramp. The entrance is off of Harrison Street (one way). The Union Street entrance is reserved for the State of Michigan office building ONLY. After parking, take the elevator to the ground level and exit out of the pedestrian walkway, turn left(west). Walk between the University Pavilion and Rink, heading towards Riverfront. Use pedestrian crosswalks over Saginaw Street. Once you enter the building, the Conference Center is to the left.
An interactive campus map can be viewed at http://www.umflint.edu/campus-map/. Event attendees can park in any UM-Flint owned parking lot or ramp for no charge. DDA public parking is available at the posted rate in various locations.
Additional Questions?
Please contact Lee Anna Massey, lmassey@michiganymca.org, if you have additional questions about REMLE.
Need to stay overnight? The Hilton Garden Inn is a short walk to the event center.